selected writings-第37节

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〃　'I　said　four　women。'



〃　'Real　women？'



〃　'Real　women。'



〃　'Well；　accept　my　compliments！'



〃　'I　will；　for　I　deserve　them。'



〃He　got　out　of　his　armchair；　opened　the　door；　and　I　saw　a

beautiful；　white　tablecloth　on　a　long　table；　round　which　three

hussars　in　blue　aprons　were　setting　out　the　plates　and　glasses。

'There　are　some　women　coming！'　Marchas　cried。　And　the　three　men

began　to　dance　and　to　cheer　with　all　their　might。



〃Everything　was　ready；　and　we　were　waiting。　We　waited　for　nearly

an　hour；　while　a　delicious　smell　of　roast　poultry　pervaded　the

whole　house。　At　last；　however；　a　knock　against　the　shutters　made

us　all　jump　up　at　the　same　moment。　Stout　Ponderel　ran　to　open　the

door；　and　in　less　than　a　minute　a　little　Sister　of　Mercy　appeared

in　the　doorway。　She　was　thin；　wrinkled；　and　timid；　and

successively　saluted　the　four　bewildered　hussars　who　saw　her

enter。　Behind　her；　the　noise　of　sticks　sounded　on　the　tiled　floor

in　the　vestibule。　As　soon　as　she　had　come　into　the　drawing…room　I

saw　three　old　heads　in　white　caps；　following　each　other　one　by

one；　balancing　themselves　with　different　movements；　one　canting

to　the　right；　while　the　other　canted　to　the　left。　Then　three

worthy　women　showed　themselves；　limping；　dragging　their　legs

behind　them；　crippled　by　illness　and　deformed　through　old　age；

three　infirm　old　women；　past　service；　the　only　three　pensioners

who　were　able　to　walk　in　the　establishment　which　Sister

Saint…Benedict　managed。



〃She　had　turned　round　to　her　invalids；　full　of　anxiety　for　them；

and　then　seeing　my　quartermaster's　stripes；　she　said　to　me：　'I　am

much　obliged　to　you　for　thinking　of　these　poor　women。　They　have

very　little　pleasure　in　life；　and　you　are　at　the　same　time　giving

them　a　great　treat　and　doing　them　a　great　honor。'



〃I　saw　the　priest；　who　had　remained　in　the　obscurity　of　the

passage；　and　who　was　laughing　heartily；　and　I　began　to　laugh　in

my　turn；　especially　when　I　saw　Marchas's　face。　Then；　motioning

the　nun　to　the　seats；　I　said：　'Sit　down；　Sister：　we　are　very

proud　and　very　happy　that　you　have　accepted　our　unpretentious

invitation。'



〃She　took　three　chairs　which　stood　against　the　wall；　set　them

before　the　fire；　led　her　three　old　women　to　them；　settled　them　on

them；　took　their　sticks　and　shawls　which　she　put　into　a　corner；

and　then；　pointing　to　the　first；　a　thin　woman　with　an　enormous

stomach；　who　was　evidently　suffering　from　the　dropsy；　she　said：

'This　is　Mother　Paumelle；　whose　husband　was　killed　by　falling

from　a　roof；　and　whose　son　died　in　Africa；　she　is　sixty　years

old。'　Then　she　pointed　to　another；　a　tall　woman；　whose　head　shook

unceasingly：　'This　is　Mother　Jean…Jean；　who　is　sixty…seven。　She

is　nearly　blind；　for　her　face　was　terribly　singed　in　a　fire；　and

her　right　leg　was　half　burned　off。'



〃Then　she　pointed　to　the　third；　a　sort　of　dwarf；　with　protruding；

round；　stupid　eyes；　which　she　rolled　incessantly　in　all

directions。　'This　is　La　Putois；　an　idiot。　She　is　only

forty…four。'



〃I　bowed　to　the　three　women　as　if　I　were　being　presented　to　some

Royal　Highness；　and　turning　to　the　priest　I　said：　'You　are　an

excellent　man；　Monsieur　l'Abbe；　and　we　all　owe　you　a　debt　of

gratitude。'



〃Everybody　was　laughing；　in　fact；　except　Marchas；　who　seemed

furious；　and　just　then　Karl　Massouligny　cried：　'Sister

Saint…Benedict；　supper　is　on　the　table！'



〃I　made　her　go　first　with　the　priest；　then　I　helped　up　Mother

Paumelle；　whose　arm　I　took　and　dragged　her　into　the　next　room；

which　was　no　easy　task；　for　her　swollen　stomach　seemed　heavier

than　a　lump　of　iron。



〃Stout　Ponderel　gave　his　arm　to　Mother　Jean…Jean；　who　bemoaned

her　crutch；　and　little　Joseph　Herbon　took　the　idiot；　La　Putois；

to　the　dining…room；　which　was　filled　with　the　odor　of　the　viands。



〃As　soon　as　we　were　opposite　our　plates；　the　Sister　clapped　her

hands　three　times；　and；　with　the　precision　of　soldiers　presenting

arms；　the　women　made　a　rapid　sign　of　the　cross；　and　then　the

priest　slowly　repeated　the　'Benedictus'　in　Latin。　Then　we　sat

down；　and　the　two　fowls　appeared；　brought　in　by　Marchas；　who

chose　to　wait　rather　than　to　sit　down　as　a　guest　at　this

ridiculous　repast。



〃But　I　cried：　'Bring　the　champagne　at　once！'　and　a　cork　flew　out

with　the　noise　of　a　pistol；　and　in　spite　of　the　resistance　of　the

priest　and　the　kind　Sister；　the　three　hussars　sitting　by　the　side

of　the　three　invalids；　emptied　their　three　full　glasses　down

their　throats　by　force。



〃Massouligny；　who　possessed　the　faculty　of　making　himself　at

home；　and　of　being　on　good　terms　with　everyone；　wherever　he　was；

made　love　to　Mother　Paumelle；　in　the　drollest　manner。　The

dropsical　woman；　who　had　retained　her　cheerfulness　in　spite　of

her　misfortunes；　answered　him　banteringly　in　a　high　falsetto

voice　which　seemed　to　be　assumed；　and　she　laughed　so　heartily　at

her　neighbor's　jokes　that　her　large　stomach　looked　as　if　it　were

going　to　rise　up　and　get　on　to　the　table。　Little　Herbon　had

seriously　undertaken　the　task　of　making　the　idiot　drunk；　and

Baron　d'Etreillis　whose　wits　were　not　always　particularly　sharp；

was　questioning　old　Jean…Jean　about　the　life；　the　habits；　and　the

rules　in　the　hospital。



〃The　nun　said　to　Massouligny　in　consternation：　'Oh！　oh！　you　will

make　her　ill；　pray　do　not　make　her　laugh　like　that；　Monsieur。　Oh！

Monsieur。'　Then　she　got　up　and　rushed　at　Herbon　to　take　a　full

glass　out　of　his　hands　which　he　was　hastily　emptying　down　La

Putois's　throat；　while　the　priest　shook　with　laughter；　and　said

to　the　Sister：　'Never　mind；　just　this　once；　it　will　not　hurt　her。

Do　leave　them　alone。'



〃After　the　two　fowls　they　ate　the　duck；　which　was　flanked　by　the

three　pigeons　and　a　blackbird；　and　then　the　goose　appeared；

smoking；　golden…colored；　and　diffusing　a　warm　odor　of　hot；

browned　fat　meat。　La　Paumelle　who　was　getting　lively；　clapped　her

hands；　La　Jean…Jean　left　off　answering　the　Baron's　numerous

questions；　and　La　Putois　uttered　grunts　of　pleasure；　half　cries

and　half　sighs；　like　little　children　do　when　one　shows　them

sweets。　'Allow　me　to　carve　this　bird；'　the　cure　said。　'I

understand　these　sort　of　operations　better　than　most　people。'



〃　'Certainly；　Monsieur　l'Abbe；'　and　the　Sister　said：　'How　would

it　be　to　open　the　window　a　little；　they　are　too　warm；　and　I　am

afraid　they　will　be　ill。'



〃I　turned　to　Marchas：　'Open　the　window　for　a　minute。'　He　did　so；

the　cold　outer　air　as　it　came　in　made　the　candles　flare；　and　the

smoke　from　the　goosewhich　the　cure　was　scientifically　carving；

with　a　table　napkin　round　his　neckwhirl　about。　We　watched　him

doing　it；　without　speaking　now；　for　we　were　interested　in　his

attractive　handiwork；　and　also　seized　with　renewed　appetite　at

the　sight　of　that　enormous　golden…colored　bird；　whose　limbs　fell

one　after　another　into　the　brown　gravy　at　the　bottom　of　the　dish。

At　that　moment；　in　the　midst　of　greedy　silence　which　kept　us　all

attentive；　the　distant　report　of　a　shot　came　in　at　the　open

window。



〃I　started　to　my　feet　so　quickly　that　my　chair　fell　down　behind

me；　and　I　shouted：　'Mount；　all　of　you！　You；　Marchas；　will　take

two　men　and　go　and　see　what　it　is。　I　shall　expect　you　back　here

in　five　minutes。'　And　while　the　three　riders　went　off　at　full

gallop　through　the　night；　I　got　into　the　saddle　with　my　three

remaining　hussars；　in　front　of　the　steps　of　the　villa；　while　the

cure；　the　Sister；　and　the　three　old　women　showed　their　frightened

faces　at　the　window。



〃We　heard　nothing　more；　except　the　barking　of　a　dog　in　the

distance。　The　rain　had　ceased；　and　it　was　cold；　very　cold。　Soon　I

heard　the　gallop　of　a　horse；　of　a　single　horse；　coming　back。　It

was　Marchas；　and　I　called　out　to　him：　'Well？'



〃　'It　is　nothing；　Francois　has　wounded　an　old　peasant　who　refused

to　answer　his　challenge　and　who　continued　to　advance　in　spite　of

the　order　to　keep　off。　They　are　bringing　him　here；　and　we　shall

see　what　is　the　matter。'



〃I　gave　orders　for　the　horses　to　be　put　back　into　the　stable；　and

I　sent　my　two　soldiers　to　meet　the　others；　and　returned　to　the

house。　Then　the　cure；　Marchas　and　I　took　a　mattress　into　the　room

to　put　the　wounded　man　on；　the　Sister　tore　up　a　table　napkin　in

order　to　make　lint；　while　the　three　frightened　women　remained

huddled　up　in　a　corner。



〃Soon　I　heard　the　rattle　of　sabers　on　the　road；　and　I　took　a

candle　to　show　a　light　to　the　men　who　were　returning。　They　soon

appeared；　carrying　that　inert；　soft；　long；　and　sinister　object

which　a　human　body　becomes　when　life　no　longer　sustains　it。



〃They　put　the　wounded　man　on　the　mattress　that　had　been　prepared

for　him；　and　I　saw　at　the　first　glance　that　he　was　dying。　He　had

the　death　rattle；　and　was　spitting　up　blood　which　ran　out　of　the

corners　of　his　mouth；　forced　out　of　his　lungs　by　his　gasps。　The

man　was　covered　with　it！　His　cheeks；　his　beard；　his　hair；　his

neck；　and　his　clothes　seemed　to　have　been　rubbed；　to　have　been